Alli stars in Tottenham rout of Real

The 21-year-old England midfielder, making his first appearance in this year’s competition after serving a three-game ban, scored either side of halftime on a memorable night for Mauricio Pochettino’s team. 

Christian Eriksen was also on target for Tottenham as they proved far superior to end Madrid’s 30-match unbeaten run in Champions League group play. Cristiano Ronaldo replied for Zinedine Zidane’s side but it was in vain as Tottenham sealed a first win in six attempts against the Spanish champions who will face more criticism after falling eight points behind Barcelona in La Liga. 

Tottenham leads Group H with 10 points with Real on seven, followed by Borussia Dortmund and Apoel Nicosia which have two each after a draw in Germany. “We are starting to believe in our potential and quality”, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose side failed to negotiate the group phase last year.